Rest in the Lord and be willing to wait for Him. Psalm 37:7 (NLV)

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Category Archives: Trucks

The park was busy by the time we were awake, dressed, had the chapel in order, and were ready for breakfast.

We enjoyed sitting outside and watching trucks arrive – even thought it was drizzling.

It was a busy day on the chapel as Saturday is the best attended day of the show.

Jake offered to take us around the show on his borrowed golf cart before golf carts were discouraged due to the crowd of people.

It was interesting to meet Robert – who recently bought the Buffalo chapel. He plans to bring it to the show next year.

A classy way to move a camper.

I finally found a 1944 – my birth year – truck.

This truck was built when Cerwin’s mother was two years old.

This certainly fit into a truck show.

This little guy wasn’t impressed with the chapel. He wanted to see where the driver sat and drove the truck.

Doug Maney (right) put out two buckets at the picnic the night before and asked people to vote by donating money to ATCA. One bucket voted for him to shave his mustache of 30 years. The other voted for him to keep it. His Dad (left) wanted to get in on the pictures.

A final picture before he shaved his mustache.

He used the bumper of a Mack as a mirror.

Maybe I should keep half of it. 🙂

I guess not

I saw him at TFC’s Truck Rally a week later and he was still clean shaven.

Clyde Dieter and Warren High appreciated when Jake offered to take them around the park.

Denis Yaworski from Connecticut always comes to visit us. He usually brings his Doodle Bug.

When Jake saw the owner of our former chapel tractor, he went to ask him a few questions. He bought it from a friend who had it in a barn. He had more questions for Jake – wanting to know the history of the truck.

Our chairs were a popular place for drivers to rest after spending hours walking.

The owner of Denver Paint stopped by to talk to Cerwin. He painted the tractor that pulls this chapel.

That’s a cute ride.

Another nice ride

That’s creative. 🙂

People began leaving about mid-afternoon.

He dumped the rain water that had gathered in the bed of his truck before backing unto the lowboy.

We received a Facebook invitation from friends from church – Kevin and Jeanette. Elam is her uncle. He was injured while loading underground water/sewer pipes on Tuesday, September 6, 2016, and sustained neck, back, and sternum fractures. There was surgery to repair his neck fractures, but he needs to wear a brace for 8-plus weeks.

The invitation said: You are invited to participate in a truck convoy by the Martin home on Sunday afternoon, October 16. Meet at John F. Martin Meats at 2 pm or drive by the house between 2 and 3 pm. Bobtails only due to narrow, country roads.

We arrived at Martin Meats fairly early and enjoyed watching other trucks arriving.

Soon they were lining up behind us.

After the lot began to fill, they lined up in a double row.

Notice the lighted cross on the TFC tractor – behind Cerwin.

Elam’s family was delighted to see so many trucks. We counted 33. There may have been others who joined the convoy or drove by the house later in the afternoon. I just received a comment that there were 45. 🙂

I couldn’t resist taking this picture of Doris Hursh. (You should have warned Glenn about parking in front of us.)

I did that a few times as well, so there may be a picture out there of me doing the same thing.

I do not know the Martin family, but understand the man on the left is a son-in-law to Elam. He was giving instructions for the convoy.

The drivers, families, and friends listening to the instructions.

Ken Martin (right) prayed for Elam, his family, and for the safety of the convoy.

We are on our way.

This is when I was leaning out the window taking pictures.

Some of the neighbors knew about the convoy and were waiting for us.

The family was waiting for us.

We were told to make noise – air horns, Jake brakes, train whistles, whatever you had.

It was fun to see the smiles on everyone’s face.

Blessings to you, Elam, for continued healing.

After passing the house, a family member handed us a bag of seasoned pretzels with a thank you note.

Since I have been posting lots of pictures during the relief auction, I will give you a break tonight and post only one photo.

New Fairview Church of the Brethren, York, PA.

It was our first time to be able to attend the Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry banquet. Our friend Dan Lehigh had been the lead chaplain with this ministry until his death several months ago. This is a ministry supported by many of the churches in the Carlisle area.

It was delightful to enjoy supper with our friends Barry and Lucy Grim and be part of the group who celebrated Dan’s life and announced the installment of two new chaplains.

Cerwin and Chaplain Jake took the chapel and Jake’s Marmon to the speedway on Friday so they could park at our designated spot – just inside the gate.

The organizers gave us the best spot on the grounds.

We enjoyed watching arriving trucks.

The view behind my chair and under the chapel.

Our view of arriving trucks when sitting in lawn chairs under the canopy

The ice chest contained cold water for drivers. It was a hot, humid day.

After I had the inside of the chapel set up and had done a bit of reading, I did a photo walk.

Driver goodie bags

Trophies

Arriving trucks

The monster truck – Keystone Crusher – was giving rides to those who wanted to get close to the track.

Chaplain Jake said we had VIP seats from Peterbilt (some connection he had). I had no idea what that meant, so I was surprised to have access to a room overlooking the race track! 🙂

How nice to sit in air conditioning, watch racing trucks, and eat lunch provided by Peterbilt. There were hamburgers, vegie trays, crackers, cheese, cookies, and soda.

I made sure the Peterbilt rep who was sitting next to me knew that we appreciated their gracious gift.

It was time to give Jake a break from chapel duty so we walked back to the chapel – taking pictures as we went.

Our view from my lawn chair while Jake went to the VIP room.

We enjoyed watching arriving trucks and visiting with people who stopped by to talk to us.

The view behind the chapel.

Another photo walk

On this picture you can see Jake’s Marmon (it used to be a chapel tractor). He is on the left talking to a few visitors on a golf cart.

Jake’s Marmon

The police security was next to us.

We heard that a special jet dragster was going to do a demonstration, so I headed toward the track – hoping to get to the viewing room before it took off.

When I heard the roar, I knew I was not going to make it, so I went into the stands and soon knew why people around me were putting their hands over their ears.

I should have gone higher up in the stands because of the cement barriers – but I did get to hear the amazing roar and watch it take off like a jet.

I went back to our viewing room to get another soda and watch more racing while the men stayed with the chapel.

The Keystone Crusher was still giving rides.

Preparing the track for the next set of races.

Trucks waiting to race.

Heading back to the chapel to give the men a break.

I was surprised to find that trucks were still arriving.

By mid-afternoon the trucks began leaving.

This one was arriving.

Then it was our turn to leave. As you can see, I am again following the chapel in our RAV4. This car got between us, but it is not difficult to follow a chapel.

This time I only had an hour drive – and mostly on familiar roads. About halfway home, Cerwin headed toward the TFC Headquarters and I turned toward home. He had the TFC pickup at the office.

I often thank God for the amazing variety of activities He has brought into my life.

Little did I know when I was a young girl – wanting to do mission work – that He would bring me into the interesting life of truck drivers. 🙂

One highlight of my day was when a trucker stopped to tell me that he now knows how old I am – because of the article I wrote for the Highway News and Good News when we were at Macungie and I tried to locate and photograph trucks that were built in 1944 – the year I was born. It’s always nice to know that people like something I wrote.

We weren’t there very long before people began visiting the chapel – some came in alone, others with family or friends.

While the men – Cerwin and Chaplain Steve – manned the chapel, I went for a walk to see what was happening in the vendor area of the park.

It seems there is just about everything you may need to restore an old truck.

If you aren’t into restoring a truck you can find toys.

Chaplains Jake and Bob took the easy way to “walk” through the park.

There were a few pretty things for the ladies or those trying to impress a lady.

This is when I began realizing that something was wrong with my camera. See the pink sky. It is supposed to be blue. 🙂

I noticed it on a few of my pictures at Diana’s graduation. Our daughter Deb thought my camera was searching for light at the graduation ceremony because it was getting dark outside.

But these pictures were taken in daylight.

Some pictures are okay, but others have vertical lines through them.

We take the chapel here each year, so instead of taking pictures of lots of trucks, I try to come up with a plan. This time, as I walked through the park, among more than 700 trucks, I looked for the year 1944 – my birth year – and 1961 – the year I graduated from high school.

Notice the variety of states and towns represented in these few trucks.

Looking at the 1944 models made me feel rather old. 🙂

This one is Cerwin’s birth year.

When I got back to the chapel, Cerwin was talking to a man and his son. I obviously didn’t take this picture to show you the TFC staff who were with us. Cerwin’s left elbow is covering Jake’s face and his right elbow is covering Steve’s face. 🙂 The chaplain you can see is Bob. His wife, Betty, is sitting in the chair with her back to the camera.

Our circle of supper friends

Our friend Doug is inviting everyone to supper. Maybe it is time for us to get in line.

He asked Chaplain Jake to come to the microphone and tell everyone to visit us at the chapel and then pray for the meal.

There was lots of picnic-style food, but this is what I look forward to: shrimp…

clams

…and corn on the cob.

A pretty view on our walk back to the chapel.

An evening scene from the chapel steps. Sunset was pretty in Macungie Park.

We enjoyed several more visitors before Chaplain Steve headed home and Bob and Betty went to a nearby motel. Jake slept on an air mattress in his van, his son, Jesse, chose the bottom bunk of the chapel tractor, and Cerwin and I slept in the chapel on the sofa bed air mattress.

It was a beautiful afternoon for Bucks-Montgomery Chapter’s Truck Show.

By 6 PM it was time for the evening dinner concert.

Scott Weidner, TFC President and CEO gave a ministry update.

We enjoyed a great concert by King’s Strings. They are a family of nine children. Two of them are in college, so there were only seven at this concert. Five are birth children and four are adopted. The baby is not yet playing an instrument. 🙂

They all wore the same style and color sneaker.

The mother of the family.

They are incredibly talented and played by using a lot of unusual styles and methods.

One daughter went out in the audience and danced a jig with Jason Shelly – the MC for the evening – while playing fiddle.

Personal

My husband, Cerwin, and I have four married children and sixteen grandchildren. Three granddaughters are married and we have one great-grandson. We serve with Transport For Christ - a ministry to truck drivers - and love our life in rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.